America Is Your Park

This summer, being active outdoors has never been more rewarding as Coca-Cola kicks off the fourth-annual America Is Your Park campaign. People can get active on behalf of their favorite park to help it win money for improvements and the title of “America’s Favorite Park.”

“Through America Is Your Park and all of Coca-Cola’s summer programs, we hope to show people how fun and rewarding it can be to get moving outdoors,” said Stuart Kronauge, general manager, Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola USA.

“We set a goal to inspire 3 million people to get moving this summer and there’s no better place to start than at the park.”

Coca-Cola is issuing a challenge to all Americans: Take It To The Park, get active and vote to help your favorite park win a grant as part of the fourth-annual America Is Your Park campaign. Being active is not only fun—it is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. And what better place to get moving this summer than in the park!

This summer, Coca-Cola is helping make this a little bit easier and a lot more fun with fitness-inspired events and activities taking place around the country. The Company is committed to being a part of the solution to obesity. So they set a goal to inspire as many as 3 million people to have fun and get active in parks, on beaches, in gyms and recreation centers around the country this summer.

There are many ways you can vote for your favorite park but it starts with getting active. Turn your favorite fitness activities into votes for national state and local parks this summer by checking in on Foursquare, logging your daily activities on MapMyFitness, or clicking to vote online.

The park with the most votes by July 15 will win a $100,000 recreation grant from Coca-Cola and the title of America’s Favorite Park. Second- and third-place parks will win $50,000 and $25,000 grants, respectively. Another $15,000 grant will be awarded, at random, to a lucky park that comes in 4th to 25th on the leader board.

These recreation grants are provided to help restore, rebuild, or enhance activity areas in national, state, or local parks where people can play and be active.

Get moving, vote daily, and Take It To The Park!

This year, the more people move, the more votes they can earn for their favorite park. By registering at Coke.com/Parks (SEE link below) and linking foursquare and MapMyFitness accounts, individuals can “Take It To The Park” for even more opportunities to turn physical activity into votes:

Earn 10 votes each day by logging at least 20 minutes of physical activity using MapMyFitness

Earn five votes per day by “checking in” at a park via foursquare

Earn one vote by clicking online at Coke.com/Parks using a computer or smartphone

To encourage more activity outdoors, votes will be doubled the first day of summer (June 21) and the last weekend of voting (July 13 and 14).

The fire-ravaged Texas State Park is received the grant in connection with Coca-Cola’s “America Is Your Park” campaign, in which parks nationwide competed to win the most votes for a top grant of $100,000 from Coca-Cola’s Live Positively initiative.

Bastrop State Park came in 12th with 661,565 votes. “America’s Favorite Park” is Pratt Park in Prattville, Alabama, with 28,734,539 votes.

“The tremendous support we received from people and companies for Bastrop State Park is testament to the special place this park holds in the minds and hearts of Texans,” said Brent Leisure, Texas State Parks director.

“We are very appreciative of Coca-Cola’s $10,000 donation that will allow us to hire America’s YouthWorks to complete new trails in the park.”

Since last year’s horrific Labor Day Weekend fire that hit 96 percent of the 6,500-acre state park, more than $200,000 in donations for Bastrop State Park recovery have come from a variety of sources.

The donations have helped Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) initiate a contract with American YouthWorks to assist with restoration efforts that include clearing downed trees and other debris, restoring park trails, and constructing hand-hewn pine log bridges.

Despite the destruction of much of its loblolly pine forests, Bastrop State Park is seeing the growth of some vegetation and the return of park customers who are coming to camp, rent a cabin, fish, play golf, and picnic. Visitors can stay at all four campgrounds and the 13 climate-controlled cabins, which are sporting new shingle roofs, and most of the park trails have been reopened.

Effects of 2011 Wildfire

In September 2011, Bastrop State Park and the surrounding loblolly pine forest were stricken by wildfire that affected 96 percent of the park. However, firefighters were able to save the historic cabins and facilities that were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corpsin the 1930s.

The park is recovering from the fire, and most trails, campsites, and facilities have reopened to the public. All areas of the park are open except the following, which will remain closed until further notice:

Area east of Harmon Road including that section of the Lost Pines Hiking Trail

Gotier Trace and areas north and south of the road

Primitive Camping

Campaign to Replace 4 Million Burned Trees

State parks officials have kicked off a campaign to raise money to replace millions of the loblolly pine trees that were lost during the wildfires. The campaign is intended to replace 4 million trees on 16,000 acres. Foresters say it will be at least 30 years before the loblolly pine seedlings grow to resemble a forest.

Two million trees will be planted in the park and another two million outside the park. The more than $4 million fundraising effort will be led by the Arbor Day Foundation.

Bastrop State Park is making a strong comeback after last Labor Day Weekend’s devastating wildfire that burned most of the park.

Now there’s a way you can help bring Bastrop State Park back from the ashes. An additional $100,000 would give a huge boost to help this beloved and iconic state park.

Coca-Cola will provide a $100,000 grant to the park that receives the most votes during its national “America Is Your Park” promotion.

“While all of our state parks deserve support and would benefit from the $100,000 grant in these times of budget shortfalls,” says Texas State Parks director Brent Leisure.

“Rallying around hard-hit Bastrop State Park will give us the best chance to win the cash to continue restoring the national landmark and the Lost Pines ecosystem. This is a grassroots effort that, to be successful requires, support from not only the Bastrop community, but from park-lovers throughout Texas.”

Vote online at livepositively.com/parks and while you’re there be sure to register your FourSquare account so you can earn the park 100 votes when you “check-in”!

Help spread the “love” for Bastrop State Park by telling your family and friends to vote, too, and by posting the link on your Facebook page and your other social media accounts. Remember that you can go online daily to cast your vote for Bastrop State Park up until the deadline.

The three parks that receive the most votes by July 15, 2012 will be awarded recreation grants in the following amounts:

If Bastrop State Park collects the most votes in this third annual national competition, the $100,000 award would be used to keep American YouthWorks members working at the park to advance the recovery of the park’s infrastructure and forest landscape, according to Leisure.

The Bastrop State Park voting campaign already is receiving support from both the public and private sectors, including Greater Austin Merchants Association and the City of Bastrop.

Campaign sponsor Coca-Cola will also be giving Bastrop State Park $10,000 to fund a trail-building event at the park on June 20 and help spread awareness of the promotion.

Since last year’s tragic Labor Day fire that hit 96 percent of the 6,500-acre state park, $262,000 in donations for Bastrop State Park recovery have come from a variety of sources.

The donations have helped Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) initiate a contract with American YouthWorks to assist with restoration efforts that include clearing downed trees and other debris, restoring park trails, and constructing hand-hewn pine log bridges.

Despite the destruction of much of its loblolly pine forests, Bastrop State Park is seeing the growth of some vegetation and the return of loyal park customers who are returning to camp, rent a cabin, fish, play golf, picnic, and listen for the chirp of the park’s endangered Houston toads.

Visitors can stay at all four campgrounds and the 13 climate-controlled cabins, which are sporting new shingle roofs, and 80 percent of the park trails have been reopened.

Bastrop’s Lost Pines wildfire—the most destructive in Texas history—resulted in a three-month closure of the state park, causing serious financial losses for a site that draws 170,000 visitors a year and has an annual $2 million economic impact on Bastrop County.

Parks are the anchors of our communities, providing places for friends, families, and neighbors to be active and enjoy the outdoors together. Last year, park supporters cast more than 13 million votes for their favorite park to win money for improvements.

America Is Your Park campaign empowers people to rally their communities and get out the vote to select America’s Favorite Park.

Slides, park swings, see-saws, and open play spaces all stand to benefit in the third-annual America Is Your Park campaign.

With the click of a button, park goers can change their communities by voting for their favorite park to win the title of “America’s Favorite Park.” Also at stake is a $100,000 recreation grant made possible by the Coca-Cola Live Positively initiative.

“Parks are the anchors of our communities, but budget cuts have left them with little funds for restoration,” said Celeste Bottorff, Vice President, Living Well, Coca-Cola North America.

“Through the Coca-Cola America Is Your Park campaign, a small action today can turn your favorite park into a better place to play tomorrow. So whether it’s an evening walk or a day of family fun, get out and play in the park—and vote to help your favorite win.”

Park lovers earn one vote per click for their favorite park—and can also earn 100 votes each time they “check in” from the park. More details on how to vote from the park are available on the website.

The three parks that receive the most votes by July 15, 2012 will be awarded recreation grants in the following amounts:

First Place – $100,000

Second Place – $50,000

Third Place – $25,000

In addition, a $15,000 grant will be awarded at random to another park that places in one of the remaining top 25 spots. These recreation grants are provided to help restore, rebuild, or enhance activity areas in parks where people can play and be active.

The America Is Your Park campaign was developed in collaboration with the National Park Foundation, America’s State Parks, and the National Recreation and Park Association.

Currently, the top 5 parks are:

Swift-Cantrell Park, Kennesaw, Georgia (539,013 votes)

Bastrop State Park, Bastrop, Texas (523,602 votes)

Parr Hill Park, Joplin, Missouri (310,424)

Jekyll Island State Park, Jekyll Island, Georgia (143,250 votes)

Sweetwater Creek State Park, Lithia Springs, Georgia (142,432 votes)

The Story of Last Year’s Winner Inspires Communities in 2012It takes a community to save a park! The 2011 winner, Oak Park, is a great example of a community that banded together to rock the park vote.

After a flood destroyed this beloved park in the small town of Minot, North Dakota, residents organized to get out the vote. They urged neighbors to join in, organized voting drives, and spread their message through online communities. Hometown celebrities also energized their social networks, and their fans responded by supporting the cause.

The $100,000 grant is being used to help rebuild the park so families can enjoy the outdoors once again.

“Residents of Minot pulled out all the stops to get people involved,” said Ron Bieri, Minot Park Board President.